Kano govt kicks as court removes Sanusi as Emir

With all Emirs sacked, the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad
Sanusi II, who had been sacked by the Abdullahi Ganduje administration in March
2020, was reinstated as 16th Emir to replace Aminu Ado Bayero, who was consumed
by the repeal of the law.

Disatisfied with the development, Babba-Dangundi took the
matter to court to seek a reversal of the removal of Bayero.

The respondents were the Kano State Government, Kano State
House of Assembly, Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Attorney-General of
Kano State and Commissioner of Police in Kano.

Others are the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Security
and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Security Service.

Delivering ruling yesterday, Justice Abdullahi
Muhammad-Liman declared that all actions carried out by the state government,
following the passage of the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, were null
and void.

“I hereby order that every step or actions taken by the
respondents in pursuant to Kano Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024 is null and
void and is set aside. However, this order does not affect the validity of the
law,” he said.

He also ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante,
and held that the respondents were aware of the earlier order, dated May 23, to
maintain status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the case.

“I think it is a very serious matter for anyone to flout the
orders of the court and go scot free with it.

The catastrophic situation could have been averted if the
respondents followed due processes by complying with the court order, which
would still have allowed them to carry out their assignments,’’ he said.

Muhammad-Liman granted the respondents’ application for stay
of proceedings, pending hearing and determination of their application at the
court of appeal on jurisdiction.

“I hereby transfer the case to Justice Simon Amobeda, Federal
High Court 3,” he said

Earlier, counsel to the applicant, M. S. Waziri, had urged
the court to nullify the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) law 2024.

Counsel to Kano State House of Assembly and Speaker, Eyitayo
Fatogun, told the court that he had filed a notice of appeal at the Court of
Appeal and a motion on stay of proceedings.

Fatogun also applied to be recused from the matter, asking
for an adjournment to enable his clients find another lawyer, and pending
hearing and determination of his application at the court of appeal on
jurisdiction.

Counsel to Attorney General of Kano State and the State
Government, Mr A. G. Wakil, aligned himself with the position of Fatogun.

Also, counsel to the Commissioner of Police Kano and
Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ekwe, told the court that the duty of
the police was to maintain peace in the state, adding that was why they did not
file any response on jurisdiction issue.

Recall that the State House of Assembly had on May 23,
dissolved all the four newly created Emirate councils in the state.

Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf on that date, dethroned the 15th
Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, and reappointed Muhammad Sanusi II, as the Emir
of Kano, four years after he was dethroned by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje

Sanusi remains Emir, Kano govt insists

Meanwhile, Kano State government insisted yesterday that
Sanusi remained the Emir of Kano and ordered the state commissioner of police
to remove the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, from the Gidan Nassarawa
mini palace for demolition of the building.

The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice,
Haruna Isa Dederi, accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG,
Baffa Bichi, gave the order while addressing newsmen at Government House.

Dederi said Bayero should be removed from the property where
he is trespassing as government had already concluded arrangements for the
general reconstruction and renovation of the property with immediate effect.

He said: ‘’The Kano State government acknowledges the ruling
by the Federal High Court regarding the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law,
2024 and views same as upholding the rule of law.

‘’By the ruling of the court, it has unequivocally
reaffirmed the validity of the law passed by Kano State House of Assembly and
assented to by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State on Thursday,
May 23, 2024 by 5:10pm.

This part of the judgement is very fundamental to the entire
matter. Further implication of the ruling is that all actions done by the
government before the emergence of the interim order of the honorable court,
are equally validated.

‘’This means that, the abolishing of the five emirates
created in 2019 is validated and the deposition of the five emirs is also
sustained by the Federal High Court.

‘’By implication this means that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains
the emir of Kano. The judge also granted our application for the stay of
proceedings until the Court of Appeal deals with the appeal before it on
jurisdiction.

‘’Happily, the signing of the law and the reinstatement of
His Highness, Emir Muhammad Sunusi II were done on May 23, 2024, before the
emergence of the interim order which was served on us on Monday, May 27, 2024.

‘’Following this court’s ruling, Kano State government has
directed the state commissioner of police to remove the deposed emir of the 8
metropolitan local governments from the government property where he is
trespassing as government has already concluded arrangements for the general
reconstruction and renovation of the property including the demolishing and
reconstruction of the dilapidated wall fence with immediate effect.’’